Chris was born and brought up in Dorset. His father was the headmaster of the village school (Stalbridge), which he attended, and his mother (a nurse) fostered his love of reading.  After the village school, he went to Gillingham Grammar during the war, sometimes cycling 10 miles each way. When his father moved to Dorchester, he went to the Thomas Hardye School. Holidays were always spent in Cornwall.
After National Service, Chris went up to Bristol University to read Zoology in 1950, where rugby played an important part in his life. After his degree, he did a Diploma in Education. Bristol was also of course where he met Jean, and they married on 1st January 1955. His first teaching post was at Truro School, Cornwall, as Head of the Biology department (1954 - 1957). Matt was born in Truro in 1956. From there, he went to Birkenhead School in 1957, and was there for six years, in which time he designed a new biology building. Will was born in 1959. After Birkenhead, Chris went to Epsom College in Surrey, a school with a known reputation for sending pupils into the medical profession, where he served 27 years as Head of Biology and was also Housemaster of Crawfurd. Whilst at Epsom, he was Commanding Officer of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and also provided careers advice. He was influential in getting the first girls to be admitted to what is now a co-educational school. Again he redesigned the biology building, making sure there was plenty of room in the labs for the odd rudder or boom from his sailing boat. With a small band of intrepid masters, he was a keen alpine mountaineer. He was also an avid Tom & Jerry and Magic Roundabout fan, so late afternoon lessons ended promptly.
Retirement in 1990 saw Chris and Jean moving to the Old Rectory in Stansfield, Suffolk, which had always been a regular place to stay since Jean’s father – Leo Harrison Matthews – had bought the Old Rectory in 1955. Chris kept busy with work for the Diocesan Board of Education and Finance, was church warden (with John Dennis) for All Saints Church, Stansfield, and was active with the local history society. He could also be found umpiring for the village cricket team.  Chris enjoyed gardening and continued the improvements that Leo started. With Don Barton’s help initially they made an excellent veg patch, and he loved using the sit on mower to keep the grass cut, which he continued to use up until last summer. Many a game of croquet was played on the front lawn, though it helped to know the local conditions such as the bank at the top and the occasional rabbit hole. The Old Rectory was always a haven of hospitality – with Chris loving a family roast (there are numerous photos of him carving the Christmas turkey) and the odd glass of Cote du Rhone.
Cornwall was of course a favourite holiday destination, with more or less annual visits up to last year, visiting family and featuring a few regular favourites – Marazion and Chapel Rock, Porthleven and Ann’s pasties.
Chris always loved sailing, starting with dinghies in Weymouth harbour when a boy, and moving on first to a small traditionally built wooden boat, then to his pride and joy ‘Mañana’ a 27 foot, varnished sailing boat. On board Mañana many happy family cruises took place, from the east coast round to Devon, along the entire south coast and across to Brittany and the Chanel Islands.
Retirement was full of holidays in the motor-caravan (affectionally known as the ‘chip shop’), to France, Italy and Spain, often accompanied by John and Sara Dennis in their caravan. And there was also the beloved ‘plot’ – a non-mobile caravan site in Provence just north of St Tropez, which they regularly visited, exploring many different routes through France to get there. Chris and Jean also enjoyed more exotic holidays in India, China and sailing in Thailand.
Chris was very proud of his sons (Matt and Will) - although jokingly envious that out of the immediate family he was the only ‘non-doctor’, grandsons (Tom, Freddie, George and Johnny) and great granddaughter (Mara). The preponderance of male offspring allowed him the excuse to have two ‘adopted daughters’ (Steph and Paola), friends of Will. Chris was really pleased with the family links to Bristol University being maintained via Will and Tom.